Thursday, April 23, 2009

The last concert held at Arizona Stadium was headlined by Fleetwood Mac, which was touring behind the release of a little-known gem called "Rumours."

Described as the hottest band in the country at the time, Fleetwood Mac shared the stage with superstar artists Kenny Loggins and the Marshall Tucker Band, along with local band Arizona.

An estimated 67,000 people jammed the football field and nearly filled the stands that hot Saturday night on Aug. 27, 1977, to make for the largest crowd of rock fans Arizona had ever seen.

Tickets were $8 to $10, and the show grossed some $430,000. The Arizona division of the American Heart Association was the major beneficiary.

Still, authorities estimated hundreds of people got in free in the crush that ensued once the gates opened. The surging crowd knocked a deputy down a flight of stairs, and a 16-year-old girl was trampled and suffered an injured elbow.

Fans had started camping outside the stadium at 6 p.m. the night before, 23 hours before the music was scheduled to begin.

The concert ended about 11:30 p.m. after more than six hours of music. Fleetwood Mac played for more than two hours, and an Arizona Daily Star reviewer said Stevie Nicks' vocals and the guitar of Lindsey Buckingham stole the show.

Large clouds of marijuana smoke hovered above the crowd, along with sporadic flares and firecrackers.

Overall, authorities called the concert a peaceful event and nowhere near the mayhem they had prepared for.

Afterward, Chuck Raetzman, UA's superintendent of grounds, labor, maintenance and transportation at the time, was quoted as saying the field suffered no severe damage.

He added that if any part of the field was still faded by the time the Wildcats' televised home-opener rolled around, it would be painted green for television. The center of the field reportedly suffered the most damage from "compaction."

Concern over Arizona Stadium's field was one of the main reasons ASUA moved the stage to the sidelines, off the playing field, for Wednesday's performance.

FLEETWOOD MAC NEWS ON FACEBOOK

In April, 2013 New York Times Author Anthony Bozza began working with legendary drummer Mick Fleetwood on his life story, which will span the entire history of the band that bears his name.

In this candid, intimate portrait of a life lived in music, Mick Fleetwood sheds new light on well-known points in his history, including many incredible moments of recording and touring with Fleetwood Mac, as well as personal insights from a man who has been a major player in blues and rock 'n' roll since his teens.

The group Fleetwood Mac has sold over 140 million records worldwide, and they continue to attract a huge following, selling out their biggest arena tour ever in 2013, decades after their debut. Finally, the group's admirers will have a unique portrait of what made Mick and the rest of the group tick in the midst of their massive success and personal trials.

“Most of these songs were written between 1969 and 1987. One was written in 1994 and one in 1995. I included them because they seemed to belong to this special group. Each song is a lifetime. Each song has a soul. Each song has a purpose. Each song is a love story… They represent my life behind the scenes, the secrets, the broken hearts, the broken hearted and the survivors. These songs are the memories - the 24 karat gold rings in the blue box. These songs are for you,” commented Nicks.

NEW ALBUM IN THE WORKS
Christine was a guest on the Ken Bruce radio program on BBC Radio 2 and was featured each morning between Oct 7th and 11th choosing the "Tracks of My Years". Each day included a short interview clip with Christine along with her track choice and why. During the last day Christine revealed that she's currently working on new material and hopefully a forthcoming solo album saying its a return to her musical sound of the 70's.